Friday, June 09, 2006

Yahoo! NewsHouse Democratic leaders are determined to sanction Rep. William Jefferson, scandal-scarred but unindicted, despite a blunt reminder from the Congressional Black Caucus that he is entitled to a "presumption of innocence."

That just means that he will not be sent to prison until he is convicted. It does not mean that the police cannot get a warrent to search his home or office, or cannot supponea records.

"It's about to blow up in their face," predicted Rep. Melvin Watt, chairman of the CBC. The North Carolina Democrat added Thursday night that black voters might wonder why a "black member of Congress" would be stripped of his committee post with neither rule nor precedent to justify it.

The Democrats may not have such a rule, but the Republicans do, and that is why Delay was stripped of his position. It is interesting that the CBC is complaining today, which is Delay's last day in Congress.